WORKING OF THE IRISH POOR-LAW.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
30th January 1848.
Sm—You have treated the general principle of the Irish Poor-law in your accustomed clear and philosophical manner. Of the clauses, however, in which that act differs from its English model, the practical working is, perhaps, little understood in England. I hold a highly improved farm of over 300 acres, within three miles of a great seaport; for which I pay a near relative 4001. per annum. He was offered 4501. for it in 1846, and refused it. The whole union in which I reside has been pur- posely rated much below the rental; my farm being valued at 2001. The Irish Poor-law entitles me to deduct half the poundage-rate from every pound of yearly rent; consequently I deduct the whole rate from my landlord. He has no power of giving employment here: I have. But the Poor-law thus permits the amount of rate to be a matter of perfect indifference to the occupier, who has his share in administering it, and who alone has the means of checking pauperism. And had the offer of the gentleman who was previously in treaty for the farm been ac- cepted, he would actually have been directly interested in making the rates as heavy as possible; since, for every twenty shillings rate he paid, he would have deducted twenty-two shillings and sixpence from his rent. This evil varies in magnitude in the different unions in Ireland, no two being valued on the same principles; but I have no doubt there is not one in which the portion of the rate paid by the landlord does not greatly exceed the half it nomi- nally amounts to. I enclose my name and address, and am, Sir, your constant reader, Q.
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